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Monday, February 20, 2012

Hypothetical Situation, your opinion please. By Geniusofdespair

Let us say there is a school board member (don't get stuck on school board could be anything) that decided there should be a moratorium for 5 years on approving ANY charter schools on wetlands (don't get stuck on wetlands, think 'land not suited for development'). Even though there is already a rule against ANY schools on wetlands, if the board gets a super majority, they can over-rule the rule. A couple of schools have slipped through with the super majority vote.

The member puts her moratorium idea before the school board and they (almost unanimously) hand it over to a committee to be discussed and for a public hearing. However, we all know that there are charter school connected members on the school board, so the moratorium very likely might not pass. Meantime, while all this is going on.... The school board member with the moratorium idea decides in the interim, to okay a charter school to be built on wetlands. Her reasoning has something to do with that "the community wants it." The school board professionals who find land for schools are against putting this particular school on wetlands and have advised against it. This does not deter the school board member from her stance. So even though she is advocating on a position (a moratorium), she is is at the same time, going to vote in opposition to the position advocated by the moratorium.

The moratorium shouldn't be necessary, they shouldn't be over-ruling their own rules. That is the part that needs to change. The woman is part of the problem if she is going to over rule her own rules.

The real reason is to limit competition and allow the charter school she is supporting. Once the moratorium is approved and then expires, they will all rush in. Just opens the door probably in her non-election year.

Well, one thing to understand is that almost all of the schools in Miami-Dade, as well as most of the developments and the airport are built on what was once wetlands, so I'm not sure if the prohibition really acomplishes anything. I'd be interested to know how many current schools or those proposed for construction have already been approved on sites that are considered wetlands.

You can't be a little pregnant. The elected official is either for a moratorium or not. If you don't want to be pregnant, then do not do what it takes to get pregnant. (BTW, do not use an aspirin, it doesn't work).

This particular politician must see something of greater value in going with the support of an item that she "opposes".

As a voter, I find this elected official to be wishy-washy and trying to deceive the voters. We are not stupid and she looks to be thinking that we are. We will notice that she is trying to deceive us by calling for a moratorium while she supports the degradation of wetlands. Trust me.

The fact that she is trying to look like a good-guy when she isn't insults all the elected officials that do the right thing.

Further more, after going on record in support of a moratorium and then flipping, I would naturally assume that she is related to the project in some way (Charter school???). Or is she running for election and sees profit for her election funding by supporting the an activity that is detrimental to the environment.

Anonymous above...do we now know the value of wetlands to our water supply? We didn't in the past.

But that is not the issue here. This is a hypothetical. Wetlands is meaningless to the argument. Change it to mountainous or rocky. Just think of it as land currently not build-able maybe it could be a zoning issue. Then comment.

This is the unfortunately routine case of elected politicians voting against the best interests of the public. They use smoke and mirrors to make it seem like are working for the good of all when in fact they are helping a minority of connected people to make money at the public's expense.Business as usual with many politicians.

Maybe I am too stupid to understand this. Why on earth would this woman do both? It doesn't make sense. Maybe the moratorium is a ploy. No, still doesn't make sense as to why she would vote on the current change for the charter school. What am I missing?

If they can get around the RULE can't they get around the moratorium too? I don't trust any of them. I would be suspicious of the moratorium. What happens at the end of the 5 years? Would the 5 year moratorium get thrown out in court?

Through her proposed moratorium, she is attempting to pacify local residents who want schools to be built where the experts recommend and to support sustainable development.

Yet, she must have received some large campaign contributions to support this one project from the specific landowners / developers. She doesn't seem to have much respect for her constituents, but this is the kind of thing that could get someone kicked out of office.

This is the best answer yet! The proposed moratorium is smoke screen to make constituents think they are supporting what they want supported, knowing full well the rest of the board, or the commission, would never support an all out moratorium. Don't they call that grandstanding?The constituents must put constant pressure on the elected member to vote as the constituents demand, or get voted out of office. It's called accountability.

Quotes hall of fame - worth another look:

Jonathon Dunlop of Australia about the Miami Airport:"This is the most disorganized shambles of an airport that exists on this earth.''April 01, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment on Post__________________________________On "Colony Collapse Disorder":Anonymous said...I say lets wait till the last tree is going to be cut down, the last bit of oil used, the last lowland coastal areas flooded before we make any rash decisions that might effect the economy.April 21, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment_________________________________On Bee “Colony Collapse Disorder” being blamed on cell phones:Anonymous said...Hmmm. What are bees doing with cell phones, anyhow?April 20, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment_________________________________On South Florida Water Supply:Ron Littlepage said...Unfortunately, we know who would win when it comes to allowing development to run amok and it's not the wildlife.April 20, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment Post_________________________________Lesley Blackner said:In Florida, the sad reality is that government exists to serve the development machine, not the citizenry. That's why it's proper to say that in Florida we have government of the developer, by the developer and for the developer.April 22, 2007 Eye on Miami Post_________________________________On City of Miami and Miami Dade County giving $1,000,000 each to Jorge Perez’s Related Group (The Group's 2005 revenues were $3.25 billion.):"It makes as much sense as me donating half my paycheck to Warren Buffett.”May 6, 2007 Miami Herald Columnist Ana Menendez_________________________________On the FCAT Test:"'Florida is a serial mis-user of test scores.''Bob Schaeffer, director for Massachusetts-based FairTest.May 25, 2007 Miami Herald_________________________________Clifford Schulman (Greenberg Traurig Lobbyist):"This is the first time in 33 years that any one has accused me of fraud." June 28, 2007 Miami HeraldI say: hmm.__________________________________Max Rameau, Homeless Activist:"I respect Ron Book for his work with the Homeless Trust, but the Liberty City community and others have given broad support to this idea. I don't know that a big-time millionaire lobbyist can tell us what is best for Liberty City and the black community.'' July 28, 2007 Miami Herald__________________________________"After years of mismanagement under a board of political appointees and neighborhood activists, Miami-Dade County administrators have proposed a new way to run the troubled empowerment zone program. The plan: Bring in new political appointees and neighborhood activists."November 6, 2007 Miami Herald: Reporter Scott Hiaasen______________________________________"Saying "Greater Everglades" and "Northern Everglades" is not saying Everglades -- other places are deserving of being protected too, but there is only one Everglades. The main thing is to keep the 'Main Thing' the main thing -- which, lately, has not been the main thing." Bob Mooney - on Listserve "Everglades Commons"________________________________________"Does anyone in their right mind believe that Florida could conduct postal balloting without a major screw-up or scandal? Heavens, no! The whole country is keenly aware that our state is a sump hole of incompetence and corruption."Carl Hiaasen - March 16, 2008 Miami Herald_______________________________________On the Charter Review: "Commissioners want us to vote on their own pet changes, ideas the review team explicitly rejected. And, they're throwing their blatantly self-serving ballot questions at us at the same time. What a slap in the face to the charter review team — and to all of us!" Michael Lewis of Miami Today - April 10, 2008______________________________________On the Miami Dade County Commission:''Unfortunately, this is a commission that would build a cyanide factory next to a playground if you hired the right 12 lobbyists,'' Miami Lakes Councilman Michael Pizzi - May 14, 2008______________________________________"The days where we’re just building sprawl forever, those days are over. I think that Republicans, Democrats, everybody recognizes that that’s not a smart way to build communities." President Barack Obama in Fort Meyers - February 10, 2009______________________________________"So."Dick Cheney's response when told that two thirds of Americans did not support the war in Iraq. - Time Magazine 2008______________________________________"It seems like a bad idea can always find a home in the Florida Legislature." - Howard Simon - Executive Director of Florida ACLU - March 24, 2010

______________________________________Complete this sentence: South Florida really needs a..."Regional plan for controlled growth (before it becomes a concrete jungle similar to Houston), and a completely new set of elected officials that make decisions based on what's good for the future of South Florida instead of what's good for their wallets. - Jack McCabe, Real Estate expert who predicted the housing boom's end. - August 29, 2011 Miami Herald